


Trick Shots

by shadow_oblivion



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assassins & Hitmen, Awkward Flirting, Bounty Hunters, Bounty hunter grillby, Cover story blown, Drunken Flirting, Elemental Magic, Flirting, Gaster fucked up, Gaster is not winning dad of the year, Grillby is not interested but is and it is frustrating, Gun Violence, M/M, Magic violence, Mix of ooc and ic, and enjoys pressing Grillby’s buttons, assassin/hit man gaster, both of them should have retired years ago but are both too stubborn for that, but good at his job, but he tries as best he can, gaster is way too cocky, more violence, not a slow burn, playing with fire literally and metaphorically, young Papyrus is a sweet cinnamon roll
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24721498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_oblivion/pseuds/shadow_oblivion
Summary: Gaster figured that life was all one big gamble, especially since he never knew how close he was to being dusted in his chosen profession. Why not continue to live dangerously? Gaster getting his bony backside scorched the first time he met Grillby meant that the bounty hunter was at least a little interested in a chase, right?What could possibly go wrong when playing with fire?
Relationships: W. D. Gaster/Grillby
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30





	1. Shots are Fired

**Author's Note:**

> Whoops my hands slipped. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about this idea, and went with it, since I like working on multiple fics. Plus this one is more quick and dirty, which is easier for me to write.
> 
> Also, just the idea of an AU where Gaster gets the hots for Grillby after some of his bones are literally torched was hilarious to me that early in the morning.

Tonight was the night.

It had taken four months to get to this point. Four months of constant monitoring, researching, bribing and careful planning.

It all led to this.

There would be no room for error.

Grillby carefully peered through the slot in the window of the abandoned building he had set up in. Grillby strained to keep his fire in check, so as to not give away his position. Despite the shutters, the fire monster did not want to take any chances, so he dressed to try to meld in with the night. Black jeans, and a long-sleeved black shirt and jacket with a hood drawn over his head in an attempt to hide the light of his fire. Even his hands were covered with black gloves. It wouldn’t do to make any careless mistakes tonight, especially not with what Grillby had learned from an informant.

The Wraith was finally going to show up, after spending over a year in hiding. 

All those months of hard work were finally going to pay off in a huge stroke of luck.

The Wraith was the bounty he was after.

Grillby wasn't going to miss this chance to get that murderer off the streets. That there was a large reward for the Wraith’s capture wasn’t the only reason Grillby was so obsessed with this endeavor. No, Grillby had a much more personal reason for being here that night. While it wasn’t normally something he allowed when he was hunting a bounty, Grillby allowed an exception this one time.

The Wraith had assassinated one of his closest friends before going into hiding, and Grillby, in between bounties, saw the chance to make things right, should the Wraith resurface.

And if Grillby happened to ‘accidentally’ incinerate the Wraith to a crisp in the process of apprehending them? No one would think that Grillby had intentionally dusted a murderer. Not when the Wraith had a large rap sheet that took over an hour to read.

Grillby reluctantly turned from the window to check on his gear, and let out a fiery snort of amusement over the sight of his handgun and the extra ammo. There was a chance he would use the gun tonight, but it was very slim. Grillby didn’t want to draw anyone else’s attention to him that night with the sound of a gunshot. The gun was only a backup, in case his own natural fire attacks didn’t work against the fiend he was going after.

Movement in the shadows caught Grillby’s attention, and he unintentionally flared up. The shadows weren’t across the street, as expected, but within the building he was in.

Grillby was supposed to have been alone. 

Was someone else there, trying to steal his bounty?

Grillby considered his options for a moment, before he slowly got to his feet. Grillby carefully tucked the handgun into his jacket pocket, even as he moved to put his back to the nearest wall corner. Once there, the bounty hunter quietly observed everything in the large expanse of the half-built room. Everything was dark except for the area where Grillby stood, illuminating his position like a fool, despite the hood and clothes that covered his body. And while someone being in the building with him was unexpected, Grillby had also planned for unfortunate circumstances that his own natural light would likely bring him.

It didn’t take long to adjust to the gloom.

Grillby caught sight of a faint, nearly unnoticeable movement within the shadows. Grillby threw back his hood and flared his fires as brightly as he could, briefly lighting up the entire room he was in. It remained like that for only a split second, but it was enough for Grillby to see the flash of someone in equally dark clothing dart behind a walled off area, through an open doorway.

Was it the Wraith?

Or was it some unfortunate fool who had decided to explore what they believed to be an abandoned building?

Grillby let out a harsh exhale of flames as he replaced his hood.

Damn kids and their urban exploration.

Grillby was not going to be dusted because he let his guard down by thinking whoever was in there with him was harmless. In the dimness that Grillby’s flames no longer reached, there was the sound of soft footfalls, as though someone were attempting to sneak away.

“Quit skulking in the dark and come out where I can see you.” Grillby reluctantly drew his handgun out and cocked it.

The footfalls abruptly stropped.

“Show yourself and state your business, or I will shoot.”

The quiet movement resumed without so much as a whisper.

Had Grillby not been paying close attention, he wouldn’t have heard the sound of some sort of a weapon being drawn. Grillby threw caution to the wind and let off a warning shot.

The bullet missed its intended target.

Grillby internally cursed over just how much of an easy target he had made himself, but at the same time, the fire monster knew that it would take a lot more than a gunshot in return to actually harm him. Grillby pivoted to one side and let off another round, where he heard the faint scuffing of a shoe against the floor.

Again, he hit nothing.

Frustrating.

But Grillby knew that it was only a matter of time before he hit his target and-

Something dropped onto Grillby from above, silent as the grave. The fire elemental spat out a curse and attempted to prevent himself from falling over, when something horrible happened.

There was a hard, incessant squeeze on his very soul.

Grillby instantly lost control of his own body as he went crashing face-first onto the floor with the weight of his attacker resting on his back.

The assailant was oddly lightweight.

Grillby twitched gloved hands against the musty, old dust-lined floor, straining against the hold on his soul. But it was useless. There was no getting that hold over his soul to leave until the assailant decided to let up on their magic. 

Because that was what was happening right now.

Blue magic held Grillby’s soul firmly in place with a heaviness and an almost painful, vice-like grip. This kind of magic...Grillby hadn’t seen or felt it in decades. Grillby resisted until he had no strength left to do so, body going limp as his flames flicked to green and yellows in a display of unease.

Trapped.

Whoever was using the blue magic knew what they were doing, with such great control.

This also meant that his assailant was a monster.

Grillby let out a hissing crackle of flames as a warning when someone pat his shoulder. If only Grillby could flare his fire through his clothing right now, but the magic used on him prevented that...

“That was close.” A quiet voice murmured overhead. “I take it from your set-up in here that you’re a bounty hunter, or something along those lines?”

Grillby remained silent, his fire shifting to blues and whites licking off his head and exposed arms from the sleeves had been dragged up from the fall.

“Oh, I could check for an ID, right? Bounty hunters have some kind of identification, don’t they?” The voice continued on, as if completely unconcerned that they were still in danger.

Grillby was appalled when he felt the hand of the other monster rummaging around through his pockets. Grillby flared his flames out a tad bit more, or as much as he was able to through the blue magic around his soul, only to receive a warning tug around it. Grillby let his flames die down a little as his fire cracked and popped in a frustrated manner.

“No need to do that.” The voice said in a rather patronizing way. “I am not the one who attacked first. Now let me see here...” There was a shuffling sound, and then a satisfied huff from the unseen monster. “Grillby, is it? I think I have heard about you. Got to say, if you _are_ the same one I heard stories about...it is rather disappointing to so easily catch you unawares.” 

The blue magic gave another harsh squeeze around Grillby’s soul, preventing the fire monster from closing his hand around the gun that he’d been inching toward. Grillby’s normally unseen mouth parted in a silent snarl over the ‘tut’-ing sound the other made with an odd clacking noise.

“Now, now, no need to get violent.” The speaker chastised. “I’ll get out of your, erm, flames, in a minute, after I get my _point_ across.”

Grillby’s flames dipped dangerously low when there was suddenly a damn knife across where his throat would be. Worryingly, the blade actually bit through his flames and caused him some pain.

What the hell?

“I am only going to say this once, _Grillby_.” The assailant leaned over to whisper against the elemental's non-existent ear. “You stop what you have been up to these past couple of months, or you are not going to like the outcome. Monsters are going to dust, and humans will die, no matter what you do.”

Grillby was about to stoke his flames in an effort to at least singe whoever was threatening him, but the knife dug in.

It was a clear, silent warning against such a move.

Grillby tensed up as the other monster slid off of him, taking the knife with them. Not a second later, Grillby let out an alarmed fiery crackle and hiss of pain when the knife was driven into his left shoulder. Grillby felt an agony he wasn’t used to as the knife pulled out, and to add to insult to Grillby felt one last tug on his soul before the blue magic released.

Footsteps began to recede toward the open window.

Grillby spat out some sparking, dying embers before he forced himself to his feet, pushing past the pain of the stab wound. The fire monster blindly lunged for the window, only to miss the shadowy figure standing there. Grillby let out a spitting growl of fury as he was shoved halfway through the window, blinds and all. Grillby hung there, half dangling out the window, as he looked down at the street several stories below.

“Tenacious son of a bitch, huh?” The monster assailant asked dryly. “Too bad it has to be this way. I really like it when someone chases me.” A wistful, rather empty-sounding sigh emitted from the speaker. "What a shame. You have such a nice ass too, for an elemental. If only you were not trying to capture me for my bounty.”

Grillby’s fire sparked in alarm.

Wait.

Was this...

Was this actually the _Wraith_?

Grillby half pushed himself up to get back inside the room, only to be shoved right back down.

No.

Grillby couldn’t let this monster escape, but was briefly distracted when the Wraith actually had the gall to swat him across the ass. Grillby was ashamed to admit that he let out a startled yelp, but really, who the hell did something like that in such a serious situation?

The light weight monster braced a hand near Grillby's wound, before the Wraith used the fire monster’s back for a jumping pad.

“See you around, bounty hunter. Or not.” A rattling cackle followed the words.

Grillby, in his daze and pained state, caught sight of dark clothes and what looked like a white skull peeking from underneath a dark cowl, or hood. 

A skeleton monster?

Grillby let out another low growl as he raised his right hand, built up some fire, and took aim. He was not going to waste nearly four months of hard work and let his bounty humiliate him _and_ escape. Grillby waited for the Wraith to gracefully land on the street after some rather amazing feats of acrobatics, before letting lose a fiery shot of flame. Despite being wounded and not having the best eye sight any longer, Grillby managed to score a single hit on the skeleton monster’s lower half, sending them stumbling to one side and over onto the sidewalk.

Grillby grunted when his soul was suddenly gripped with blue magic again, unprepared to be flung backward into the room. Grillby let out a groan when he landed painfully on his aching shoulder. He really was getting careless in his older age, wasn’t he? Another unnerving thought crept in, even after Grillby felt the blue magic fade from around his soul.

What was to stop the Wraith from coming back up there and putting an end to him?

Passing out had not been in the cards, but really, Grillby hadn’t expected to be so easily wounded as an elemental. Nor had Grillby expected his soul to be so brutally manhandled by blue magic that, combined with the burning ache in his left shoulder, sent Grillby down and out faster than he had ever experienced in his whole life. If he woke up from this, Grillby was going to deal with his wound, and then go straight to the nearest bar to drown himself in monster alcohol.

When he was good and drunk, Grillby planned to seriously question why he was still bounty hunting, before figuring out how to corner the Wraith now that the assassin knew Grillby was after them.


	2. Scorched Bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is literally Gaster lamenting his burnt bony ass before going to a bar and immediately flirting/getting drunk with the very same fire monster that torched him in the dark.

Curiosity was going to get Gaster dusted one of these days. It was a wonder it hadn’t happened sooner.

The assassin rolled onto his side with an unnerving cracking of his bones. Gaster heaved out a long sigh despite it being utterly unnecessary while he bemoaned his somewhat battered body. Because damn did his bones ache terribly, though some more than others for obvious, fiery reasons.

Gaster let out a rattling laugh as he lie there, wincing before laughing again when he unintentionally twitched.

Ouch.

That really stung.

Being scorched so badly by Grillby was not something Gaster intended to happen that night. Being shot at, of course, was always a danger that the assassin expected as a possibility. But being blasted by what amounted to a mini fireball that targeted his poor sensitive bony backside had not been anticipated.

Gaster hadn’t even expected to find anything worth his time.

He had just been wanting to satisfy the curiously of who had been researching his past so closely. Gaster had meant to keep to the shadows while getting a better glimpse of the culprit. That it just so happened to be a fire elemental made it all the more interesting to Gaster. But he shouldn’t have been spotted.

At all.

Gaster hated to think that he was getting rusty the older he got. Gaster decided to chalk the misfortune up to Grillby catching sight of him due to the elemental’s natural light. Bastard must have good eye sight to tag him on the ass from so high up, so it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise that Grillby would have seen the assassin in the dark of the building. Not perfectly, of course, since Gaster had managed to avoid being shot.

An elemental with a gun. Times sure had changed.

Gaster let out another wheezing, rattling cackle as he continued to lie on the sidewalk like a corpse. Maybe he would keep lying there to see what a human would do should they come upon his current resting spot. It had been awhile since the skeleton monster feigned being dead to the world, only to startle a passerby.

Gaster’s thoughts drifted back to the gun Grillby had had.

Maybe the elemental couldn’t see all that well in the dark after all? Was that final fire attack that managed to hit Gaster been pure dumb luck?

The assassin gingerly rolled over to push himself up to his hands and knees, before craning his skull back. Eye lights warily scanned the window he’d sent Grillby back through with blue magic.

No more blazing projectiles were hurled at him.

Gaster’s shoulders slumped in relief as he hung his head. He had half expected to find the fire monster leaping out of the window to come after him to burn him to a crisp.

That would be most unfortunate.

Gaster thought he looked much better with intact, non-scorched bones and clothing.

He better get up.

The assassin didn’t actually want someone to come across him in this state.

Gaster let out a pitiful, yet somewhat exasperated groan as he painfully hauled himself to his feet. He hobbled awkwardly across the sidewalk, and went around to the back of the building there. A backpack sat inconspicuously in the shadows. Gaster leaned over, only to wince as his spine cracked in protest, and his backside ached even more than before as his damn tailbone throbbed.

“Maybe I _am_ getting...too old for this.” Gaster groaned as he lifted the backpack up and onto some stairs. Gaster shed the loose cloak he wore and clacked his teeth in disappointment at the hole that had been burnt though it. The assassin would have to procure a new one if he were to go out as the Wraith again. There was no salvaging this particular cloak unless Gaster wanted to advertise where he had been attacked.

That would be a poor decision on his part.

Gaster knew that there were others in his profession that would just love an excuse to dust him if he were to show any kind of weakness. Gaster already got enough shit for being a skeleton monster, so showing that he could actually be hit in a fight was a big no-go.

This meant he would have to purchase a new outfit. 

At least Gaster knew where to get his outfits made for a good price, no questions asked.

With the cloak discarded, Gaster looked rather lanky with the black tank-top that clung to his bones. Letting out a worn-out grumble, Gaster discarded the shorts he was wearing, ruined as they were, to land with the damaged cloak. Gaster didn't look at his injury yet, and merely looped a lightweight jacket around his hip bones that he had drawn out from the backpack. Gaster then took out a fake leather duster and pulled it on to cover the rest of his body. Nodding to himself absently, Gaster stuffed the ruined clothing into the backpack, and slung it over one bony shoulder.

Time to go take care of his singed bones.

Luckily, Gaster just so happened to have chosen a motel within walking distance. He hadn’t expected to need it to go metaphorically lick his wounds. It had been more of a retreat and lie low if the bounty hunter he’d been going to check out had managed to see and chase after him. It was a relief that Gaster had the key already, and could let himself into the corner motel room. The assassin briefly paused to take in the dark parking lot.

He didn’t see anyone.

It was a very quiet night.

Gaster, satisfied that he was alone, slipped though the motel room door, and locked the deadbolt and chain behind him. He added a hint of magic to keep the door from being broken open, jut as a precaution. Once Gaster ensured he was alone in that small room, the skeleton monster dropped the backpack onto the floor. The assassin carelessly tossed his trench coat onto the bed as he limped his way into the tiny bathroom. Gaster unwound the cloak from around his bones before half-turning to examine himself in the somewhat dingy, cracked bathroom mirror.

Oh, was that one nasty-looking injury.

Even the back of Gaster’s tailbone had suffered damage, as evidenced from the earlier throbbing ache. His bones were going to hurt like a bitch for awhile, and sitting down would be uncomfortable.

That wouldn’t be fun.

The whole back of Gaster’s hip bones, as well as his sacrum, were also a charred mess littered with cracks here and there. Gaster didn't dare take a shower, and instead gingerly used a washcloth to methodically clean his bones. He had to stop now and again when there was a sting and a thin line of blood seeped out from his marrow.

Damnit.

Grillby had gotten him good.

This was going to take time to heal over.

It was good that Gaster had some experience in healing, and rested a skeletal hand, chipped in some areas, over the worst of the cracks. With a little effort, he willed green magic into the injury. Gaster might not have needed to use healing magic for over a year, but that didn’t mean he was going to completely forget how to heal his own bones. There weren't many monsters he trusted enough to heal him without expecting something in return, or, worst case scenario, injuring him further.

It was best if he only healed himself, unless the damage was too great.

The mysterious river person, while sketchy as hell most of the time, had offered to heal Gaster in the past. But there was just something off about the hooded monster that Gaster wasn’t about to put himself at their mercy unless he was actually close to dusting.

...the assassin really didn’t want to dwell on River right now. The memories and thoughts were not the best, and Gaster didn’t want to think about River happening to be in this particular city.

Back to cracked and badly burnt bones.

Gaster used some salve he'd been given a few years back, and ran it along the still tender wounds. Gaster awkwardly bandaged his bones to give the magic in that salve a chance to do its work. Gaster let out a humorless snort through his nasal cavity. He never would have thought he'd have to bandage his own bony ass for any reason. A broken tibia, sure, or a femur, but not his tailbone, hip and scrotum. Gaster pulled the tight tank top off to check over his other bones, but was soon satisfied that everything was in place. There were no new cracks or hairline fractures. All that was there were old chipped bones and healed over breaks from past injuries. 

Damn, he really looked like a mess, but at least he hadn't been dusted.

Gaster gave his reflection one last look, before he flicked the light out in the bathroom, and stepped out to collapse face-first onto the bed with a grateful moan.

He'd feel better after some sleep.

Once he was awake, Gaster would allow himself to fantasize about that bounty hunter and his rather impeccable aim, intentional or not, with that fire of his.

For now, sleep beckoned.

-x-x-x-

Gaster woke up the following evening with a start. He’d been dead to the world, and chided himself for letting his guard down so much. His bones still ached, but he felt much better than before. It had been some time since Gaster had slept a whole day away.

This past year...had been rough, with so many sleepless nights.

Gaster knew that he should go home soon, and was rather surprised he hadn’t gotten any frantic phone calls. But Gaster felt that he needed to unwind for a bit before going home. It wouldn’t do to pull a knife on those he lived with, and without a good explanation to back it up.

As far anyone knew, Gaster was still a scientist, though that seemed like a lifetime ago. Gaster had stopped his research for the most part due to some unfortunate circumstances that led to his pursuit of becoming an assassin. Nowadays, Gaster occasionally wrote online articles and papers, and kept to himself.

Maybe going out last night to check out the bounty hunter situation had been a bad idea. And now said bounty hunter likely knew that Gaster was the Wraith, or at least, had a good guess that he was.

Gaster signed wistfully at the thought of Grillby as the skeleton rolled out of bed, only to promptly face plant on the floor of the motel.

Apparently, his body wasn’t as well as he had thought.

Gaster carefully got to his feet and dressed in blue jeans that clung to his hip bones. He made sure it didn’t put too much pressure on his bandaged bones. Gaster threw on a bulky black turtle neck sweater to cover the sight of the bandages and part of his spine. The assassin decided then and there’re that he had a strong hankering for a drink.

Many, many drinks.

Gaster was still technically on a self-imposed ‘vacation’, so he had no one asking for his services on one of his burner phones. This meant that he could afford to get shit-faced for at least one night. After all, no one in this city knew that Gaster was the Wraith. Not even when he wandered into a bar or one of the many stores lining a street. No one knew what he was capable of, and it was a thrill for Gaster to be in broad daylight with the ever-looming threat of being discovered.

It was exciting.

But right now, the thought of walking into the nearest bar to get drunk off his bony ass before seeing if anyone wanted to play sounded like a fantastic idea to Gaster.

Getting laid as a skeleton monster was somewhat difficult, but the assassin liked a good challenge.

In a much better mood now at the prospect of gaining some temporary company for the evening, Gaster sauntered over to the motel door. He ignored that he had a bit of a limp to his gait. Whistling cheerfully through his teeth, Gaster made sure his room was locked up before made his way to a bar that was a few blocks away. The moment Gaster entered the bar, his toothy grin widened just a tad as the assassin’s eye lights fell onto the back of a familiar figure.

Well, well, well.

If it wasn't the scorching hot bounty hunter.

It appeared as though Gaster’s knife had done its job, from the way the elemental was favoring his left arm. Tit for tat, Gaster supposed. He had burnt bones, and Grillby had a sore shoulder.

But more to the point...

This evening was going to be so much better than Gaster could have hoped for. The assassin felt perfectly capable of garnering the attentions of the fire elemental, especially since said fire elemental seemed to be eyeing the bar patrons with an almost predatory gaze.

It seemed _someone_ was looking to get laid that evening too.

How convenient.

Gaster wondered if Grillby would be interested in a magical pile of bones. Gaster might not have everything other monsters or even humans had, but he knew how to have a good time.

And elementals?

Elementals could actually make Gaster _feel_. 

The bounty hunter’s gaze fixed on the skeleton monster, as if just noticing his presence.

Gaster went straight up to the counter, pretending to not notice Grillby’s intense stare. The assassin gingerly sat down on a stool a few down from Grillby. Still feigning ignorance over the way the fire monster’s gaze was on him, Gaster waved the bartender down.   
  
What to do, what to do.

It had been awhile since Gaster had attempted to show interest in someone else. He was not the most social of monsters. Gaster glanced out of the corner of his right eye socket, in time to catch the way fire flickered and curled off of Grillby’s head in oddly specific patterns before going back to their regular flicker.

Interesting.

Throwing back a drink that had been placed before him, Gaster reveled in the sensation of that heated stare that swept over him, as if checking him out. There was no ill intent, only slight suspicion and a good dose of interest.

Grillby was being cautious, and it made Gaster wonder if the bounty hunter had caught a glimpse of him beneath the cowl that had been over his head the night before. Nothing happened that would confirm this, as there were no attacks sent his way, magical or otherwise.

It meant that Gaster’s cover was not blown.

Good.

Because the fire monster’s gaze lingering on him made Gaster feel like his very soul was lighting up, and he wanted more. 

He _needed_ more.

It had been such a long time since Gaster had allowed himself to feel any emotions that he had otherwise deemed unnecessary in his work as an assassin, and before, as a scientist.

Grillby turned the faintest amount on his stool. 

Gaster couldn’t help but wink an eye socket at the fire monster as he drained half of his second glass.

Grillby’s fires seemed to rise a couple of degrees in return, the bounty hunter’s hand clenching an empty glass.

Gaster grinned to himself as his phalanges tapped against the glass he held. He much preferred this kind of heated attention to the sensation of being burned to a crisp. 

Grillby let go of his glass, and waved the bartender down for another. Once the bounty hunter got a new glass of monster alcohol, Grillby made eye contact with Gaster. The fire monster drained the alcohol in one go, before a dart of a flame, like a tongue, flicked out from around where Grillby’s mouth would be, to get the last drop. 

That was hot.

Gaster nearly slopped the rest of his own drink on his turtle neck as he drained the glass. Gaster muttered to the bartender, who merely deposited two drinks in front of the fire elemental. Gaster’s jaw bones twitched to show off a sly smile.

Grillby’s fire flared in response as he drained both drinks without losing eye contact.

It was getting warmer, even though Gaster was several seats away from the bounty hunter. 

The bartender set three shot glasses down in front of Gaster.

The assassin, now emboldened, grabbed all three small glasses, and slid off the stool to perch on the one next to Grillby. Aware of being closely watched, Gaster calmly tipped the drinks through parted teeth one by one, feeling the alcohol vanish as it converted to magic, which was making his soul rather fuzzy.

This was probably a very bad idea, but it was fun.

More fun than Gaster had had in a long while.

From the literal heated and interested expression playing across Grillby’s face, Gaster felt confident that he would get laid tonight if he played his cards right. An impromptu drinking contest was something he hadn’t gotten to take part in for decades and decades. It was a shame that Gaster couldn’t let himself become too drunk. He didn’t want to accidentally give himself away by telling Grillby he had a nice ass for an elemental. Gaster had already told him that as the Wraith.

Foolish past him.

Gaster would just have to find something else as a compliment. He found it a half hour later.

”You have pretty eyes.” Gaster slurred a few more drinks in, his teeth snapping together thoughtfully as hazy eye lights stared at the bounty hunter closely. “Looks like a bunch of...of stars. And a galaxy close up ‘n all that around your eyes.”

Eh, good enough, even if Gaster wasn’t making much sense. 

Grillby did light up many pretty colors at that around the edge of his fires.

Damn, Gaster might have been more shit-faced than he anticipated, but apparently, his compliment was well received because damn did Grillby look like he wanted to jump his bones.

That sounded fine to Gaster, provided he could get off the stool without falling over.

Maybe he should sober up a little first.


	3. Interrupted by Responsibility

Grillby thought that tonight was going to be a flop until the skeleton monster showed up. Before that, Grillby had hoped otherwise, after waking up and tending to his stab wound in that empty building.

The skeleton monster was rather close as he drank out of a glass. 

Grillby watched the alcohol vanish past the skeleton’s teeth, fire gently crackling. The bounty hunter’s left shoulder still ached, but the wound had luckily not been nearly as bad as Grillby thought it might have been. 

The distracting skeleton monster sent his smile at Grillby as he set the empty glass down.

The bounty hunter was still a little distracted.

Why hadn’t the Wraith come back and finished him while he had been unconscious?

“Something...on your mind?” The skeleton asked, managing to somehow butcher his words despite having no tongue to fumble over.

What could have been and why the Wraith hadn’t killed him was temporarily dismissed as Grillby turned his attention fully to his present company. The skeleton monster was obviously attempting to flirt with him, and Grillby should at least attempt to engage. That was the main reason why the bounty hunter had come to the bar, apart from the drinks. And Grillby was definitely intrigued by the other monster, especially with their current, impromptu drinking contest.

Everything was going well, almost exactly as the bounty hunter could picture past encounters.

Eye contact.

Drinks.

The silent challenge.

Stumbling to some dark corner.

Going separate ways afterward.

Grillby had had these kind of pick-ups in the past, but this time, there was an added bonus that the other monster wasn't passing out from the amount of alcohol consumed.

And after that comment of his eyes looking like stars?

Grillby was fully prepared to find somewhere to drag the other monster off to light up his horns in the most pleasant way possible.

But then came the awful flirting.

It was so bad and obvious that the bounty hunter couldn't help but play along.

“Come here often?” The skeleton monster asked.

“First time here.” Grillby responded, allowing as his own glowing eyes to rove over the other monster in an obvious manner. “ _You_ come here often?”

“Only to get shit-faced.” The skeleton said with a drunken flourish of his hand through the air.

“Seems to me that you have accomplished that.” Grillby let his gaze burn into the other. “Any other reason you came here?”

"Wanted someone to play with my bones.” The skeleton monster said bluntly. He was grinning now as he got off of the stool. He stumbled a little but didn't seem worried. Those eye lights were even brighter than before as they burned a metaphorical hole in Grillby.

Finally.

Luckily the bad pick up lines didn't continue.

This Grillby could work with.

“Funny, it seems like no one wants to play with a fire elemental tonight.” Grillby stood up from his stool, a little taken aback that he was a head shorter than the skeleton. But that didn’t last for long. Plenty of monsters were taller than him. Grillby looked around the bar before turning his attention back to the skeleton. “I do not think they can handle the heat.”

“I like it hot.” The skeleton monster’s eye lights roved over Grillby again. “Their loss. You look like you will be extra warm.”

“You are not bothered by the heat?” Grillby was no stranger to ducking into a dark corner to get some excess energy and frustration out, but the bounty hunter had to be sure that he didn’t have a skittish monster on his hands. “Most monsters are afraid that I will burn them.”

“ _Most_ monsters are idiots when it comes to knowledge about elementals.” The skeleton monster said confidently, despite stumbling over his words. It even seemed like he might be sobering up just by not drinking anything. “If you were not confident in your own natural abilities, you would not be here looking for a partner for the evening, correct?”

Grillby could have sworn the skeleton’s voice was familiar, but he was still a little tipsy, and honestly, Grillby needed a pick me up after the debacle with the Wraith.

"Anything I should call you?" Grillby asked off-handedly, as he set his own empty glass down.

"Wingdings." The skeleton monster supplied with a twitch of his jaw bone.

"...did your parents hate you?" Grillby asked, fire crackling in an almost laugh as small flames leapt off the top of his head.

"You called hot stuff or something?" The skeleton asked in return. "Torch? Scorch? Fiery enigma? Scorching hot fire monster?"

"Dings it is." Grillby decided with a hidden smile.

Damn, that almost-scowl would have been offended if the skeleton monster hadn't let out a hollow drunken laugh at the same time.

"Going tell me your name?" The skeleton monster, now dubbed Dings, asked curiously as he shuffled closer to Grillby.

"I will consider it." The bounty hunter said, as he began to lead the skeleton monster toward the back of the bar, out of sight of the other patrons of the bar. "Perhaps I will wait until you are sober enough to remember."

"You realize that...that you are the one who is swaying like the...like the room is on the sea or something." Dings let out another laugh, this one making his bones rattle.

Grillby cast a sideways glance at the taller monster. Despite being a little bit drunk from the monster alcohol he had consumed, Grillby was curious about a few things. The alcohol was burning off quickly, so the fire elemental would be sober sooner than Dings. Grillby had never attempted to be intimate with a skeleton monster before, and he was rather looking forward to seeing if any of the rumors proved true or not.

Dings started to hum something off key, apparently content with wherever the fire monster was leading him.

Right away, Grillby knew that he could dismiss the rumor that skeleton monsters couldn’t feel anything due to being only bones and magic. Being magic, it should have been obvious that any monster’s soul would be affected in certain instances.

This was the case with Dings.

The skeleton clearly felt the effects of the monster alcohol. And from the way the Dings kept very close to Grillby’s side, Dings could clearly feel the bounty hunter’s natural warmth that emanated out.

Grillby bit back an amused crackle of a laugh over how sleepy the skeleton appeared, as if he was being lulled to sleep by the haze of the alcohol and heat combined.

That would change soon.

Grillby was now invested in seeing how Dings reacted to his fire in a different way. Grillby looked around the back hall of the bar, and stopped by a door, opening it to peer inside. Grillby was pleased to find that the cleaning supplies were all piled on shelves, leaving the back wall of the small room open.

That would work.

It wouldn’t do to get caught in the bathroom by a human.

Dings actually let out a giggle that trickled into a rattling cackle as Grillby tugged him by the arm into the small room.

Grillby used his free hand to bar the door to prevent anyone from opening it and interrupting them. Grillby turned away from the door, eyes on Dings. Grillby’s fires flickered higher as the bounty hunter assessed the other monster.

“A broom closet?” Dings' fixed toothy grin shifted the faintest bit, the bone offering more of an amused smile. “Planning on making me a pile of bones on the floor?”

”That depends.” Grillby said, advancing until he had the skeleton monster against the back wall of the room. 

“On what?” Dings asked with what appeared to be a bigger skeletal grin.

”On if you can handle my fires.” Grillby said, his head tilting to the side as he asked for a second time, just to be sure. “Not afraid of getting burned, are you?”

”I like to take chances.” The skeleton monster grinned, “And like I said before, elementals don’t tend to live around others or go looking to play with someone unless they have perfect control over themselves.” The skull tilted to the side to mirror Grillby, eye lights taking the bounty hunter in before an odd sense of embarrassment seemed to come over the skeleton. “I’m sure you have heard rumors but most skeleton monsters I’ve met are literally just bones and magic. We don’t actually use our magic to form tongues or...” Dings vaguely waved a hand down at his hip bones.

Grillby didn’t see why this was a problem before he realized that this meant Dings likely hadn’t had many partners in the past. Especially if having actual parts to engage in physical activity was an issue. Using one’s soul tended to be reserved for monsters planning to spend their lives together, and not a simple fling.

Well.

Dings didn’t have to worry about Grillby turning him down for something like that.

The bounty hunter was a fire elemental, which meant that he would have to work up a lot of energy and magic to form something himself. It took enough energy as it was for Grillby to keep his shape more or less solid.

”I am made out of fire and magic.” Grillby pointed out quietly, even as he thought back to wondering if Dings hadn’t had much luck with partners in the past. “Been with other elementals before?”

”It has been a long time.” Dings murmured back, his fingers tapping the wall behind him. “But yes, I have.”

“Then you should be aware that it does not matter to me if you can use magic to form anything. Because it’s too difficult for me to do often.” Grillby boxed the skeleton against the wall by resting his hands on either side of Dings' shoulders. “So long as you can feel the heat of my fire, it will not be a problem.”

”...sensitive bones.” Dings provided as he craned his skull down to meet Grillby’s eyes. 

“Going to lose the top or do you want me to work through it?” Grillby asked, intrigued by the idea of bones being sensitive. But being held together by magic, it would make sense.

”Trying to get me naked on the first date?” The skeleton teased.

”You call getting drunk and fooling around in a broom closet like young idiots a date?” Grillby let out a soft crackling laugh. “And naked, you say? Dings, you are literally a pile of animated bones. What is there to see?” Grillby couldn’t help but laugh at the almost pout that came from Dings. A rather grand gesture considering the monster only had a skull to emote with, along with the gesturing of his bony hands.

”I guess that is true.” Dings had a little trouble coordinating his limbs, still affected by the alcohol. “Having the top off would make it easier...” Dings managed to get turtleneck up and over his skull, only to tangle his arms in the clothing. The eye lights darted to Grillby, as if Dings was embarrassed by this slip up.

The bounty hunter thought it worked out just fine. 

Dings seemed to realize as much because his teeth clacked together before he leaned back against the wall, tangled arms resting on top of his skull.

Grillby’s eyes roamed over the exposed bones, noting that there were a lot of old injuries that had never been fully healed. There were chips and cracks of hairline fractures along the ribs, a nasty crack that left a dent in the sternum, and painful-looking scratches down along the spine that Grillby could see through the ribs.

Dings began to fidget, as if not being entirely comfortable over being inspected so closely.

Grillby returned to the reason for being in this closet in the first place. The bounty hunter leaned over after briefly meeting those eye lights looking down at him. Grillby parted his fiery mouth that was normally unseen before he bit down on the collarbone.

Dings bucked against the wall as he let out an odd hiss.

Grillby made his way along the collarbone, careful to keep the temperature of the fire consistent, and to not actually burn the bones he was paying attention to. The fire monster had perfect control over himself and he intended to show it.

"Warm." Dings said faintly as he sagged back against the wall. "S'nice."

Grillby ran the tips of fingers along the exposed rib bones, feeling every notch and nick in them. Grillby let his fingers trail up to the sternum, where he focused his attention on the unpleasant-looking crack while he let his bite rest a little heavier on bone. Then, the bounty hunter let some stray flames sweep put along nearby bones, causing the skeleton to shiver in response to the unexpected warmth.

Dings seemed to be in heated bliss the longer the stray flames caressed over his shoulder bones, all the way up to his elbows. The skeleton’s hands gripped at the turtleneck as Dings attempted to hold still and let Grillby explore.

Grillby briefly let go of his bite to lean up and reach behind the back of Dings' skull. Checking to make sure the touch was all right, Grillby then slid his fingers down to the spine, causing the skeleton to let out a faint, pleased sound.

"There feels really good." Dings said in an almost moan. “Spine is always...a pain.”

"Sensitive bones, yes?" Grillby ran a finger down each vertebrae, going at a slow pace to wrap the bones in heat. He didn't need to see or feel the bones to know, from Dings quivering, that the other monster liked the touch.

"S...Sensitive." Dings agreed, skull tilting back as if sensing that Grillby was leaning back over to nip at his collarbone again.

Grillby focused on the bone again and paid attention to the way Dings reacted to the fires before Grillby traced his fingers back down ribs to settle his hands at the monster's hips.

And paused at the faint flinch.

Grillby pulled away from Ding's collarbone as the bounty hunter looked down at the bits of exposed hip bones poking out from the waist of the jeans. Grillby carefully ran his fingers over the bandages he could see.

Dings stilled.

"You do not find it painful to be doing this with an injury?" Grillby asked.

"It's healing." Dings said shortly, sounding more sober than before. Those eye lights looked away from Grillby. "Had a bit of an accident in the lab. Cracked my bony ass a little. It happens.”

"You do not have an ass." Grillby pointed out.

“I have the bones that would be under one." Dings responded before he grinned. "Now, I believe that it is my turn to play for a little."

"How?" Grillby asked, gaze going to the skeleton's arms tangled in the turtleneck.

"Magic." Dings said dryly, as half a dozen magic bullets resembling the monster's own hands appeared.

Grillby tensed up, warily watching them. Bullet patterns didn't always mean attacks but...

"I use these constructs of my own hands to assist me with my work in the labs." Dings said. "I cannot destroy my own work, now can I?"

Grillby didn't say anything to that because all six of those skeletal hand bullets were suddenly on him. One cupped him beneath where his jaw would be, while two rested on his shoulders. The second to last two grasped Grillby's hips, and the final floating hand lightly slapped his backside. Grillby's fires flared as he sent a searing look Dings' way. This monster was definitely not drunk any longer, what with the way those eye lights were looking at Grillby.

"Now that I have your attention..." Dings' eye lights were a little bigger, the monster obviously eager. "I wonder where I should begin." Dings' dug the hand bullets hard into Grillby's shoulder, as if giving him a massage. The hands on Grillby's waist tightened. "Shirt or pants? It is only fair since I took something of my own off.” 

"You do have my attention.” Grillby may have underestimated just how much the other monster wanted to jump his fires in return. “And you have your hands all over me too." The bounty hunter was more intrigued than ever, as his mouth opened in an obvious way to show off a smirk. "How about everything comes off of me, as well as your pants? Maybe I can use some healing magic on those cracked bones you were talking about."

“Fooling around in a closet like young idiots?” Dings’ eye lights fixed on Grillby before his jaw opened a little in an eager grin. “Pretty sure we are both old and soon to be decrepit.”

”Fire elementals live for a very long time.” Grillby let out a fiery laugh. “You, on the other hand, already look old and decrepit.” Grillby laughed again as one of the hand bullets slapped his backside again. “We are both at least late middle age in terms of monsters, and should not be engaging in seedy clandestine encounters in a small space.” Grillby’s flames kicked up in intensity as he met Dings’ gaze. “But here were are. We will just have to make sure you do not fall apart when-“

Dings let out an insulted sound as hand constructs started to make quick work of the buttons on Grillby's jacket before-

A call phone started to rapidly blare several times in a row.

The mood broke abruptly as Dings let out a loud groan of disappointment.

"Is this where I find out you're cheating on another lover with me?" Grillby watched as Dings used another formed hand bullet to take the phone out of his back pocket. "Or do you have multiple partners?"

"I am single." Dings said in a deadpan tone, as his eye lights focused on his phone screen.

Grillby patiently waited while Dings tapped a response to whatever had been sent to him, the fire monster's fingers lightly teasing along Ding's ribs. 

"I am needed at home." Dings said as he replaced the phone in his jean's back pocket.

"Single, huh?" Grillby prodded again.

"Single _father_." Dings clarified. "My younger son needs me now. He'd be the equivalent to the age of a ten year old human."

"And you are out looking to have your bones played with?" Grillby was reluctant to not finish what he started, but he knew better than to prevent someone from going to see their own child. "Why is no one there to watch him?"

"Babysitter had to leave." Dings sounded tired. Worn out, as he struggled to free his arms. He succeeded, even as Dings reluctantly pulled the sweater over his bones again. "I told my son to text me if said babysitter forgot to inform me."

"Find someone more responsible to watch your child." Grillby was appalled over the idea of a monster child being left alone, even for a little while, without a guardian present.

"Most humans, and some monsters, don't feel comfortable around skeleton monsters." Dings pointed out, straightening out his top as best he could. "I have to take what I can get. And my son has a good skull on his shoulders. He knows when he needs to contact me if I'm away at work or...other places."

Grillby produced a little notebook from a pocket along with a pen. The fire monster wrote something on the page before tearing it out and folding it in half. Grillby leaned back over the other monster to tuck it into Dings' back pocket. Grillby may have also sent a flare of heat through the fabric to bones.

Dings shivered, his bones rattling in response to the sudden warmth. 

"Give me a call or a text when you are free, and have found someone more responsible to watch your son while you are away." Grillby wouldn't normally dare kiss someone he'd only planned to hook up with once but the bounty hunter couldn't help himself as he seared a kiss onto those teeth. When those same teeth parted in surprise, Grillby flicked some flames on the inside of the teeth and jaw, before pulling away. "I'm not finished with you yet."

"Have a good night." Dings said in a rather dazed way.

"Call or text." Grillby said again, a smile making an appearance at the reaction to the kiss. "Don't make me hunt you down."

Dings slowly sat down on the floor of the broom closet before he let out a cackle as if Grillby had said the funniest joke ever.

"You going to go home?" Grillby asked once the laughter had died down.

"After I get my balance back." Dings said, still highly amused over something.

Grillby's fires went up briefly over the thought of barely touching Dings and causing such a reaction in the other monster. The bounty hunter slipped out the door and waited for a short time. He wanted to make sure that Dings actually left the bar, and wasn’t a ‘pile of bones’ that wouldn’t be able to help his young son.

Dings finally emerged from the broom closet and exited the bar to go home to...wherever that was.

Grillby kept his distance as he followed, but soon lost sight of Dings when the skeleton monster took a turn and walked down an alley. When Grillby looked, there was no one there.

Huh.

Odd.

Grillby gave his head a shake as he continued on his way to the hotel, unaware of a shadow that dogged his path from overhead in the darkness of the buildings. As soon as Grillby entered the lobby, the shadow, should the fire monster have looked, was gone.

Like no one had ever been there.

Upon entering his hotel room and locking it, Grillby stared out at the city skyline. The bounty hunter set his phone on the desk before collapsing onto the bed. Grillby was dubious over the idea of Dings actually contacting him, until Grillby’s phone lit up some time later.

Curious, Grillby got out of bed and checked the message. It was from an unknown number.

1:55 AM: _Any interest in being that responsible babysitter this weekend?_

Grillby took the time to enter in the phone contact info, knowing this was Dings. Because Grillby honestly wasn’t sure how he was supposed to even answer the skeleton.

He was a bounty hunter, not a babysitter.

Sure, Grillby he was fine around children, provided their parents not be worried about the fire monster burning them.

Grillby’s phone lit up again, this time with the new contact name accompanying the message.

Dings of the many hands: 2:00 AM _: I will make it worth your while. Want you to finish what you started in the broom closet._

Grillby’s flames danced around his head in interest, considered the idea, and then figured he would have time to do more research into the Wraith.

Younger monsters took naps, didn’t they?

Grillby looked around the hotel room, thought about the fact that he was alone, and made his decision as he typed up a response and sent it.

2:15 AM _: What time this weekend?_

Grillby wasn’t sure what he was getting himself into, but he couldn’t deny that this was the most interesting thing to happen to him in a long time, apart from avoiding being dusted by a notorious assassin.


	4. A Ray of Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got so long but damn, when initially writing this, I wasn't expecting young Papyrus to be so cute (or for Gaster to decide he had to gush over him while half-asleep).

If losing out on a heated encounter with a fire monster was bad, it was nothing compared to the text messages that came in to Gaster’s second phone that was stowed within the ankle of his boot.

Gaster’s shoulders slumped.

He’d hoped for a more quiet night, but it just wasn’t to be, as it was heading into a potentially sleepless one. Gaster slowly looked around before he ducked down yet another alley. The assassin went down a few more from where he had lost Grillby, who had been tailing him after leaving the bar. Once Gaster confirmed he was alone, he retrieved the hidden phone and unlocked it. He stared at the messages for a time.

12:30 AM: _Wraith, you have the necessary equipment and plans to satisfy our arrangement?_

12:31 AM: _It must look like an accident. There must be no traces of your presence left behind._

12:31 AM: _Per our agreement, you know the consequences should this not happen._

Gaster sent a message back.

12:33 AM: _All is ready. Everything has been arranged. There will be no question of it being an ‘accident’.  
_

There was no message for a time, and Gaster continued in his way home, in a roundabout way, while he waited to see if there was a response. The phone buzzed a single time, ten minutes later.

12:43 AM: _Keep it that way. You will be contacted later for the delivery of the fee for your ‘assistance.’ You have no doubt already noted the presence did a bounty hunter in the city. It goes without saying we don’t want any outsiders sticking their noses where it doesn’t belong._

Gaster frowned at the phone before tapping out a final message.

12:44 AM: _No one will see me. Not even a bounty hunter._

Gaster shut the phone down. Even if he had disabled the tracking, he wasn’t going to chance it being potentially traced. 

A two for one hit that paid well was exactly what the assassin needed.

Gaster had been running low on funds as of late, and as a bonus, his targets were both disgusting predators of children. But at the same time, the weekend couldn’t go by quickly enough. Gaster had used this past year off as an assassin to question if he really wanted to continue on the same path. Gaster exited the alley and sighed hollowly.

Just a few more jobs.

The assassin just had to keep telling his himself that.

It was late by the time Gaster got home, feeling exhausted and empty as he shoved his way through the front door after unlocking it.

No one had followed him home.

It was quiet.

Gaster barely had time to lock the door before his legs were assaulted with a big hug. The assassin automatically reached out with a hand to fondly pat the skull of his youngest son.

”You’re Home!” The younger skeleton exclaimed, voice raised as his skull tilted back to beam at Gaster with a great big smile.

”Of course.” Gaster leaned over to pick up the skeleton that was half his height, yet still light as a feather. “You did a good job letting me know you were alone, Papyrus.”

”You Weren’t At Work?” The younger skeleton stared at Gaster with dark eye sockets. For whatever reason, Papyrus’ eye lights were never visible but he made up for it by having rather movable, animated facial bones.

”I had just left.” Gaster assured Papyrus. “Even if I had been at work, I would have come home. River is supposed to call me if they couldn’t stay until I return.”

”River Said Something Important Came Up.” Papyrus said, as he sleepily wrapped his arms around Gaster’s neck. “I Texted You Right Away.”

Gaster let his son nuzzle sleepily into his shoulder, but let out a laugh when he saw the over-sized red scarf wrapped around Papyrus’ neck, partially covering his striped shirt and pajama pants from the way it trailed down.

”What’s So Funny?” Papyrus asked, pulling back a little to look up at Gaster’s eye lights.

”Ah, it is just that the scarf you are wearing was supposed to be a gift for your birthday.” Gaster commented dryly. Seeing the way his son’s face fell, Gaster was quick to add. “But since you look so dashing in it, I suppose that scarf can be an early gift.”

”Nyeh heh!” Papyrus moved one arm from around Gaster’s neck to place it in his sternum. Papyrus puffed out his narrow rib cage, proudly showing off the over-sized red scarf.

“It is time for you to go to bed.” Gaster told his son. “It is late.” The assassin didn’t get any protests, merely a yawn with a crack of teeth. Gaster was quiet as he carried his son up the stairs to the right of the front door, and into Papyrus’ bedroom. Gaster moved the sheets and blankets back, before he set the younger skeleton monster on it. Gaster tucked Papyrus in, eye lights softening a little at the way Papyrus cuddled the scarf as he buried himself beneath the covers.   
  
“...dad?” Papyrus asked, unusually quiet right before he spoke.

”Yes?” Gaster absently smoothed out the blankets. He held still as one small hand reached out to grasp his own.

“Can We Go See Sans Soon? It’s Been A Long Time.” Papyrus asked sleepily.

“Papyrus...” Gaster felt a pang in his soul but managed a sad smile. “Of course we can. But not until Monday. I have to finish up my current work this weekend.”

“Okay!” Papyrus beamed, even if he was clearly ready to fall asleep with the sleepy droop of his eye sockets. “Can You Read Fluffy Bunny?”

Gaster inclined his skull and moved over to the bookshelf to take the storybook out. When Gaster turned back, Papyrus was already fast asleep. Gaster set the book back and quietly moved to the bedside, fidgeting with the blanket and tucking his son in. Gaster leaned over and gently bumped his skull to Papyrus’ before he drew away, and silently slid out of the bedroom. Gaster shut the door just as silently before going to the room across the hall. The assassin let himself into his own bedroom, and shut the door, leaning back against it with a long sigh. Gaster ran a hand over his face, phalanges pressing against his nasal cavity as he sighed.

The thought if visiting his eldest son always drained him, if only because the assassin couldn’t bear to see what he couldn’t fix.

For a decade, Sans had been in what amounted to a coma for a monster, after an accident that had nearly dusted him. Sans didn’t even get the chance to know his younger brother for longer than a year.

And to keep his eldest alive while attempting to find a way to wake him up again?

It was very costly.

Gaster definitely wasn’t going to sleep, so he wasn’t even going to bother trying.

Might as well do something productive.

Gaster took out his personal phone from the back pocket of his jeans, and the piece of paper that Grillby had given him back at the bar. A genuine smile made its way onto Gaster’s skull as he thought back on the encounter with the fire monster. Gaster unlocked his phone and entered the bounty hunter’s contact information in.

Since this wasn’t the first time River hadn’t contacted him, Gaster decided to go ahead and take Grillby’s advice about babysitters. Though perhaps, it wasn’t exactly the way the fire monster meant it.

1:55 AM: _Any interest in being that responsible babysitter this weekend?_

There was not a response right away, and Gaster wasn’t sure if it was because Grillby was asleep, or because the question had thrown the bounty hunter off. Gaster waited a little longer, and then sent another text.

2:00 AM _: I will make it worth your while. Want you to finish what you started in the broom closet._

Was that too forward?

Gaster didn’t think so, since Grillby _had_ said that he wasn’t finished with him. The assassin began to pace around his bedroom on pins and needles as the minutes ticked by

Scorching Hot: 2:15 AM _: What time this weekend?_

Gaster’s teeth snapped together so hard he winced.

A response!

Gaster was very pleased that Grillby basically said yes to babysitting.

2:17 AM: _Is 9 in the morning tomorrow...today, too early? It is short notice._

Scorching Hot: 2:18 AM: _It is not. Have an address, or were you going to come find me at the bar?_

Tempting.

Alas, Gaster had work to do this weekend, and his aching backside wasn’t going to do him any favors. Gaster texted the address to Grillby, before inwardly laughing in a self-depicting way. Oh, Gaster hoped he didn’t regret this, because if the bounty hunter found out who he was, he would know where his home was. Not that Gaster didn’t have a safe house if things got bad...but still...he would rather avoid dragging Papyrus into a potential mess...

The cell phone buzzed.

Gaster checked it.

Scorching Hot: 2:23 AM: _I will be there at 9_.

It was happening.

Oh dear, Gaster was not ready at all. Less then 7 hours and the bounty hunter would be at his home as a guest, and a sudden babysitter.

Did Grillby even like children? He wouldn’t have agreed so easily if he hadn’t, right? 

Gaster really, really should have thought this through. He would have to use those 7 hours to scour his entire home for any potential damning information. Halfway though the house, Gaster stopped what he was doing and groaned. He hadn’t even mentioned to Papyrus that there would be a different babysitter, at least for this one weekend. Maybe more, if Gaster could convince the bounty hunter to hang around. It would be easier to keep an eye on Grillby and the fire monster’s progress on his hunt for the Wraith.

Also known as Gaster.

This would be kind of thrilling, flirting with danger.

Gaster picked up his phone to send a message to River about finding someone to watch Papyrus for the weekend. Gaster wanted to make sure that they didn’t show up while Grillby was there. It would just be the assassin’s luck if Grillby knew who River was.

Despite the hour, River’s response was quick.

Tra la la: 4:45 AM: _Understood. Who did you find on such short notice?_

4:46 AM: _A hot bounty hunter that torched my bony ass and then bought me a drink because he didn’t know I was the Wraith._

Tra la la: 4:48 AM: _You are a fool, if you carelessly to let someone like that into your home._

4:50 AM: _I do not have any damning evidence in my home. I did not want to chance Papyrus finding anything. As far as he knows, I am a scientist._

Tra la la: _Be careful. Remember to contact me if it gets to the_ _point where you and your son need to disappear from the map for a time._

4:51: _I remember. I will be in touch._

Gaster knew there would be no response from River, so the assassin continued with the arduous task of cleaning up his home. By the time he finished being thorough about locating any possible evidence, it was 5:30 in the morning. Gaster didn’t even bother going back to his bedroom. He collapsed onto the couch face-first instead to rest a little.

By 7 AM, Papyrus joined Gaster in the couch, giggling as he plopped himself onto his father's back. Papyrus stared down at him, feet up in the air as he prodded the back of Gaster's skull.

Gaster let out a low groan and slumped further on the couch.

“Wake Up, Dad! It’s Morning!” Papyrus said cheerfully, tapping Gaster’s skull again.

Gaster made another in-eloquent sound and moved an arm to drape over the back of his skull.

Papyrus was undeterred as he moved the arm out of the way and, with a practiced motion, flicked a vertebrae.

Gaster let out a rattle of a gasp and flinched, automatically seizing Papyrus and rolling onto his back to hoist the younger skeleton into the air.

“Morning!” Papyrus said with a great big beaming smile.

Gaster’s eye sockets squinted a little, his eye lights barely visible.

“Dad, Did You Not Sleep Again?” Papyrus asked, his own eye sockets scrunching in concern.

Gaster did some quick thinking and decided a distraction was in order. He set Papyrus on his chest and tickled his sides, causing the younger monster to let out a squeal of delight.

“No! Not The Tickles!” Papyrus squirmed but couldn’t escape.

”It is a real rib tickler, is it not?” Gaster asked as he let out a genuine laugh.

“No Puns! You Promised!” Papyrus grasped Gaster’s hands. “You said you wouldn’t tell puns in the morning!”

”That was last week.” Gaster shifted his hold on Papyrus so he held him against a hip bone, wincing a little as it jostled his still healing bones. “We need to discuss new parameters for the upcoming week.”

”It’s Saturday! It’s Still The Same Week!” Papyrus automatically wrapped an arm around his dad's neck, pouting a little as Gaster got up and headed into the kitchen. “And I’m Not A Babybones! I’m Ten! I Can Walk By Myself!”

”Ah, but you’ll always be my little babybones.” Gaster teased as he affectionately clacked his skull against Papyrus'. "I have a whole album of you doing cute antics and-"

“Daaad.” Papyrus groaned as he shoved at his father. “Put Me Down!”

Gaster acquiesced, and set his son on the floor, before he shuffled further into the kitchen with a yawn.

"Breakfast." Papyrus prompted, when Gaster stood in place unmoving for a good five minutes.

"Yes." Gaster's eye lights flickered briefly before waved toward the fridge as he automatically got the coffee maker prepared.

Papyrus, used to his father's distractions, pulled out the necessary ingredients from the fridge, standing up on tip-toe to set them on the counter, followed by a mixing bowl.

Gaster, with Papyrus' help, got batter ready to make waffles, since Papyrus insisted on waffles Saturday mornings. Gaster stared intently at the waffle maker after burning the first one before he placed two adequate waffles on a plate. Gaster set the food in front of Papyrus at the table, before going back and making more, prepared to not let any more burn. Gaster drained his first cup of coffee, pleased that the monster brand of coffee did well to give him a brief boost in magic. Gaster's cell phone buzzed in his pocket while he stared at the waffle maker with a second cup of coffee in hand.

Oh, right.

Grillby would be there soon.

”Papyrus, River is busy this weekend, so I found someone else to come over.” Gaster said, as he rescued the last waffle.

Papyrus stopped eating at that to look up curiously at his father.

“It is short notice, but I think you will like this monster." Gaster said as he took his phone out to check the message.

“Did You Meet Someone?” Papyrus asked with a tilt of his skull. "Is That Why You Go Places After Work? River Said You Sometimes Meet Other Monsters Before Going Home."

It was Gaster 's turn to gave his son a look.

What the hell was River telling Papyrus?

“I Found A Kid's Book At The Library.” Papyrus informed Gaster. “When I Was With River Yesterday. It Was A Book About Monster Relationships And Parents..." Papyrus gave Gaster a beaming smile that really showed off his missing tooth. "It Talked About Single Parents And How They Go Out On Dates To-"

Gaster missed the rest of his son's excited explanation of a _kid's book_ , because the assassin's cell phone buzzed again.

Scorching Hot: 8:55 AM: _I will be there shortly._

Gaster hadn’t even finished explained to Papyrus who was coming!

Oh, what a mess this all was becoming... 

“You’re Doing That Thing Again.” Papyrus said, concern crossing his jaw bone. “You Told Me Not To Scratch At My Eye Sockets Or Nasal Cavity, So You Shouldn’t Either.”

Gaster stopped because he remembered that he had said that, but he was still panicking.

Everything was happening too quickly.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Who’s That?” Papyrus took another bite of waffle. “Is that the new babysitter?   
  
Gaster took his cup of coffee with him, rubbing at his skull with phalanges as he walked over to the door, just barely remembering to peer through the spy hole to see who it was.

Mm, it was the smoking hot bounty hunter, right on time, and looking very, very fine in his leather jacket and jeans.

Dammit.

Gaster had to behave himself around his son. He didn't want Papyrus to get the wrong idea and start talking about 'monster relationships' while around Grillby.

With a sigh, the assassin opened the door.

It was an even better view.

Were the top couple of buttons undone on the shirt beneath the jacket?

Gaster decided that some staring was permitted, since his back was to Papyrus. Gaster did so shamelessly as he let his eye lights rove over the fire monster.

"See something you like?" Grillby asked with a soft crackle of laughter.

Gaster lost his grip on his coffee, but managed to stop it from breaking on the floor as a conjured hand bullet caught it.

"I'll take that as a yes." Grillby said, as his own glowing eyes raked over Gaster. 

The assassin let out a faint sound as he took the coffee cup back from the construct.

"Did I kiss you stupid last night that you did not even change you clothes?" Grillby asked with a smirk visible through his flames. "I am flattered. It was not even as long a kiss as it could have been."

Gaster should say something. He really should, but he couldn't.

Papyrus broke the intense stare-off as he let out a sudden whoop of amazement and launched himself off the chair as he ran over to the two older monsters.   
  
“Wowie!” Papyrus exclaimed as he clung to Gaster’s leg while he stared up at Grillby in awe. “You’re On Fire! Does That Hurt? How Are You Able To See Through All The Flames?”

Gaster snorted through his nasal cavity.

Oh, Papyrus was so adorable.

"I am a fire monster." Grillby smiled down at Papyrus. "It is natural for me to be on fire. If I were not, I would be ill. So my flames do not hurt me in the least."

"That Is So Cool!" Papyrus beamed. 

"This is my son, Papyrus." A smile worked its way onto Gaster's skull.

"Grillby." The fire monster said, as he crouched down to be eye level with the younger monster. "It is nice to meet you."

Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

"Are You Dating My Dad?" Papyrus asked seconds later with genuine curiosity. 

Or not.

Gaster dropped his coffee cup for the second time, not bothering to catch it as he ran phalanges over his eye sockets and nasal cavity. Gaster couldn't look Grillby in the face, but knew that the other monster was looking at him.

The fires seemed to have flared, flickering wildly.

Grillby clearly hadn't been expecting that kind of a question.

Papyrus happily looked between the two quiet older monsters, even if Papyrus became a little confused over why his father had sunk to the floor alongside his spilled coffee.

The assassin just had no words. He wanted the floor to swallow him up. Gaster had joked about being on a first date with the fire monster in that broom closet, but he hadn't actually been serious.

"You're Doing The Thing Again To Your Skull." Papyrus said, suddenly holding Gaster's hands away from his face.

Gaster unintentionally looked up at Grillby, and hot damn was that gaze heated, but in a good way. Like the bounty hunter wanted to carry Gaster away somewhere private right now and light him on fire like he had started doing in that broom closet. 

"I...work soon." Gaster fumbled, before using hand bullets to sign to Grillby out of sight of Papyrus. _'Maybe later tonight?'_

Luckily, Grillby knew how to read hands, because the fire monster's eyes seemed to narrow before a sly grin worked its way across his face.

"You better get ready to go then." Grillby said with a raspy crackle of fire. 

Gaster patted Papyrus' skull gently before he rose and woodenly wandered off to do just that. Once inside his bedroom, Gaster's soul began to flutter around wildly as his hand reached up to press against his teeth and jaw bone.

It was such a damn shame that Gaster had to leave the house to assassinate some nobodies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, Grillby’s friend who is dead that Gaster assassinated isn’t Sans (for obvious reasons, being that Sans is Gaster’s son in this fic) but Grillby *has* briefly met Sans, before he was in the accident (and before Sans had a younger brother).


End file.
